Why Python?

Python has been in development since 1989. The language is a recent language that is more adaptable to our current compute environment than other languages. Python is an open language. Meaning that it is open source code and is actively supported and worked on by developers all over the world. The language is powerful – it can do pretty much anything that you would expect from a modern language. It runs on every modern device conceivable. The best part is that it is easy to read, easy to learn. Finally, the language was written with the concept of working with other programming languages as needed.

Python today is used in many environments. The Python Package now references thousands of modules written by the community of developers. This combination of the standard library and the vast number of modules contributed by the community make this language something you could concievably use with the exclusionÂ of everything else. You will find helpful modules in:

Web and Internet Development

Database Access

Desktop GUIs

Scientific and Numeric

Education

Networking

Software and Game Development

Python is an object orientated language with the advantage of being free and open source. The latest versions of Python are under the Python Software Foundation license agreement. Python has a principle development team, led by Guido van Rossum. He is considered the BFDL (Benevolent Dictator for Life), because he still oversees the Python development process and has kept the software free and open source. He has worked for many organizations including Google. He is currently at Dropbox. Throughout his career he has been able to keep this hobby he started during a holiday project, alive and free. Most of the versions are GPL (see opensource.org) compatible. And yes, Python is named after Monty Python’s Flying Circus. What better argument can there be for becoming an Python zealot yourself?

Python is used in enterprise environments, research and education, by people who need to accomplish simple tasks all day long, and more importantly by hobbyist and programming enthusiasts. It is probably the best place to start to learn how to write software – as the language is clean and very easy to understand.